May 14 (Bloomberg) -- A majority of Greeks want their
country to stick to its current economic financial aid plan and
to remain in the euro area, an opinion poll indicated.

Almost 54 percent of 1,002 people surveyed by Rass SA for
the newspaper Eleftheros Typos said Greece should continue to
implement measures agreed on with the the International Monetary
Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank, against
38 percent who would reject the program even if this meant
immediate bankruptcy, according to the poll, which was published
today.

The survey indicated that Syriza, an anti-bailout party,
would emerge as the winner if fresh elections were held now,
though short of an outright majority, with support rising to
20.5 percent from the 16.8 percent it won in the May 6
elections.

The pro-bailout conservative New Democracy party would win
19.4 percent of the vote, up from 18.9 percent, while socialist
Pasok, which also supports the agreement with the so-called
troika, would see its percentage fall to 11.8 percent from 13.2
percent, according to the poll.

Coalition Favored

Two thirds of those surveyed, or 66.1 percent, said they
want Greece’s political parties to form a coalition government,
the remaining third preferring new elections. More than eight in
10, or 81.4 percent, said they want Greece to stay in the euro
area.

More than a third, 39 percent, said Alexis Tsipras, the
leader of Syriza, which rejected yesterday a call to join a
coalition government, bears most responsibility for the
political deadlock since the May 6 elections, which has
prevented a unity administration from being formed.

Almost as many, 37.1 percent, said Tsipras’s stance during
talks last week to try to form a multiparty government was the
worst of any leader of the seven parties elected to the Greek
parliament in the May 6 vote and 58.7 percent said his policies
would lead Greece out of the euro area.

Tsipras won’t attend a meeting President Karolos Papoulias
called at 7.30 p.m. Athens time today to attempt again to form a
coalition government.

Of those surveyed, 43.6 percent said the interests of
Greece would be best served by a coalition of center-left
parties compared with 33.8 percent who favored center-right
political forces

The poll was conducted on May 10 and May 11. No margin of
error was given.